Wednesday, May 30, 2012

I taught quilting in Rocky Mount, NC a few weeks ago. Then I flew to Sarasota, Florida and taught quilting last week. Here are the women showing off the little fusible house appliques they learned to design in my class "Playtime Neighborhood for the Precision Impaired".

Sarasota, Florida May 2012

Their guild met in a Mennonite church, and I was a bit stunned to see that they had musical instruments for a rock band. (Look on the stage in the photo.) I asked about it, and was assured that most Mennonite churches today offer both traditional and contemporary worship services.

I stayed in a nice motel in Sarasota, but when I taught in Greensboro, NC in April I stayed in a quilt guild member's home. Here is the beautiful home, off a huge culdesac in a golf course community:

I had the whole upstairs to myself, in a massive guest suite. I really enjoyed my gracious hosts.

Friday, May 25, 2012

This is one of my favorite books. Every five or ten years, I have to check it out of the library again.

It is about a man renting an old house in England. He discovers that if he takes a certain drug, he goes back into the 14th century and is able to watch the people who lived in that house back then. He gets addicted to living in that other century.

This is written by Daphne du Maurier, she is more famous for her book "Rebecca".

All my life, one of my unfulfilled desires is to magically be able to go back in time. I keep hoping that during the Millenium, for entertainment, we might be able to choose a small location (a particular hill or city block, etc.) and watch a virtual movie of every single thing that ever happened on that spot for all the centuries of time. WOULDN'T THAT BE AWESOME! I guess thats why I like this book. He can see what happened on the site of his house 500 years previously.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

"Harriett the Spy" was my very favorite book when I was in the 4th grade, and reading it inspired me to begin writing in my diary. I started writing sporadically in the 4th grade, but in the middle of the 6th grade the habit stuck, and I have not missed a day for the past 42 years. ( Thats a lot of diaries!)

I just reread this book, and was struck by how outdated it is. It was written in 1964, and kids these days would have a very difficult time relating to it.

First, Harriett has complete freedom to roam all over New York City by herself. No kidnappers or child molesters or crime to worry about.

Second, she has a full time nanny and cook, and so do all her friends.

Third, television. Here is just a random paragraph from the book:

Ole Golly said "I thought we might sit down here in the kitchen and play a game of checkers."

Harriett: "In the kitchen? But we always watch television when we play checkers....There isn't any television down here."

Oh yes, that reminded me of way back when each family only owned one TV. How quaint that a wealthy family like Harriet's (remember they have a nanny and a cook) don't even have a TV in the kitchen.

(Remember the Monkees song "Pleasant Valley Sunday", some of the lyrics pointed out the unusual fact about Mr. Green: "Mr. Green, he's so serene, he's got a TV in every room".) The first people I knew who had several TV's were Wayne's Aunt Carol and Uncle Gary, and we definitely thought they were rich. They also had a TV in the kitchen, which was a brand new idea for me. But I have mostly watched TV in the kitchen ever since.

Fourth, here is how they decided what movie to see.

(Ole Golly and boyfriend decide to take Harriet to the movies.) "Oh, boy," said Harriet and jumped up from the table. "I'll go get the paper and see what's playing." She ran upstairs to the library and went through the paper thoroughly. She was torn between a spooky (movie) and a spectacular about the Greek gods..she decided to choose the latter. Anyway, it was in color."

It struck me that when I was a child we DID have to get a newspaper to find out what was on at the movie theater. But when I was a newlywed, we started calling the theater's phone line and there would be a constant loop playing a message, listing all the movies. Of course, later when the internet was invented, we just look online. It has been years since I thought about those other methods.

But the added shock was that, yes, I can also remember when some movies were more special than others because they were in COLOR.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Robyn moved away. She gave away a bunch of stuff, and I got a huge bag of Ninja Turtle toys.

The next time all my family were here, I said, "Merry Christmas! You all get to choose whatever you want from this bag!" and I dumped the bag in the living room.

There was a lot of excitement during the next ten minutes as they all picked out their favorite action figures. It was funny, Seth was even wearing a Ninja Turtles Tshirt that day (I had purchased 4 shirts at Target and given them to the four oldest boys at Christmas.)

(Don't worry, Bryce, there are still dozens of them left in the bag for you to pick from later.)

Saturday, May 19, 2012

I spent $70 at yard sales today. I bought 13 (THIRTEEN) pair of children's shoes, all in almost new condition! Each pair was $1 each or 50 cents each. (To compare this with store prices, a couple of weeks ago I bought myself a new pair of walking shoes for $60 and some sandals for $20 at Rack Room shoes. Yard sales are definitely a better deal!)

Thursday, May 10, 2012

I helped with my little granddaughter yesterday while Seth and Janette directed the movers. It was a sad day for me, they are moving 1 1/2 hours away. It will be different now that they have to plan a big trip to come and see us. I definitely want to move into a different house, so that we can have a guest room.

I finally got the quilting bug again, I started making crooked log cabin blocks and couldn't stop. Now visions of the finished quilt keep going around and around in my head, I think I am going to make a quilt based on the song Alan Jackson sings, "Tall Tall Trees." I have wanted to make a quilt about that song for years. It has so many good images in the lyrics:

Tall Tall Trees(Roger Mill & George Jones)Well, If you wanna drive a big limousineI'll buy the longest one you've ever seenI'll buy you tall, tall trees, and all the waters in the seas'Cause I'm a fool, fool, fool for you.Well, If you wanna own a great big mansionwell, I'll give it my utmost attentionI'll buy you tall, tall trees, and all the waters in the seas'Cause I'm a fool, fool, fool for you.Yes I'm a fool, over you(It may take a while, but I'll prove it's true)Well, if it's lovin' you want, I've got itAnd if it's money you want, I'll get itI'll buy you tall, tall trees, and all the waters in the seas'Cause I'm a fool, fool, fool for you.--- InstrumentalWell, If you wanna take a trip across the oceanYes, we'll travel anywhere you take a notionI'll buy you tall, tall trees, and all the waters in the seas'Cause I'm a fool, fool, fool for you.Now, if you wanna own a great big mansionIf I give it my utmost attentionI'll buy you tall, tall trees, and all the waters in the seas'Cause I'm a fool, fool, fool for you.Yes, I'm a fool, over you(It may take a while, but I'll prove it's true.)Well, if it's lovin' you want, I've got itAnd If it's money you want, then, I'll get itI'll buy you tall, tall trees and all the waters in the seas'Cause I'm a fool, fool, fool for you.--- Instrumental ---Yes, I'm a fool, over you(It may take a while, but I'll prove it's true.)Well, if it's lovin' you want, I've got itAnd If it's money you want, then, I'll get itI'll buy you tall, tall trees and all the waters in the seas'Cause I'm a fool, fool, fool for you...

Monday, May 7, 2012

Tomorrow, in the North Carolina primary, we will be able to vote for or against this amendment to our state's constitution.

"Constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state."

Yesterday I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting (in case you don't know, I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

I read excerpts from the Proclamation on the Family, given by our church's President Gordon B. Hinckley in September 1995.

"We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose......

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.....

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.

....we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."

I believe in the truths of these words, I believe they are from a living a prophet of God, and I will vote to "promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family", by voting yes on this amendment.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Here is my older brother and me, a few weeks ago when I was visiting in Oklahoma. Our family went to watch him at a roping. He won one go-round, but I think having his whole family there to watch him made him a little nervous, so he didn't win the big money.

I wore sandals to the roping, that wasn't the smartest thing in the world, since the parking lot and inside the indoor arena was all dirt. I should have known better! But I haven't been to a roping or a rodeo for probably 35 years, so I forgot.

This picture was taken inside the indoor arena building (notice the dirt floor). This practice roping cow was just sitting there. This is a much fancier one than the one we always had in our yard when I was growing up. It was merely a plastic head stuck onto a bale of hay. Larry practiced roping it, unless I was around, then he would rope me instead.

I was impressed with the women's restroom there at the arena, so I took a picture of it for you to see.Maybe someone kicked a hole in the door, I don't know.

(Beware, Politics below.)

Read about our self-confessed cokehead president:

Historians of the future will be hard-pressed to explain how the most successful nation on Earth...., could have elected as its president a man who is impervious to shame in talking about his long-term drug use, and who appears on comedy shows to make jokes about having been a better pot-smoker than another president.

I remember back when Clinton was in office, wondering when the government was going to start listening in on my phone conversations. I don't think that happened.

But now, I am seriously concerned about my blogging and my emails and my Visa receipts. Our government seems to be fully equipped to keep track of all that information and look it up anytime it wants to.

And when you ponder the significance of the executive order signed by President Obama in December 2011, you can start becoming very scared. I, myself personally, could be locked up and put away indefinitely for no reason, without a trial, according to this law:

And here is the executive order, signed March 16, 2012, where all our food and water supplies can be taken over by the government. This includes food factories, food at all stages of production, even food in individual homes. It explains that the president has complete control over resources, including during peacetime.

Sec. 103. General Functions. Executive departments and agencies (agencies) responsible for plans and programs relating to national defense (as defined in section 801(j) of this order), or for resources and services needed to support such plans and programs, shall:......

........(c) be prepared, in the event of a potential threat to the security of the United States, to take actions necessary to ensure the availability of adequate resources and production capability, including services and critical technology, for national defense requirements;.......

(e) "Food resources" means all commodities and products, (simple, mixed, or compound), or complements to such commodities or products, that are capable of being ingested by either human beings or animals, irrespective of other uses to which such commodities or products may be put, at all stages of processing from the raw commodity to the products thereof in vendible form for human or animal consumption. "Food resources" also means potable water packaged in commercially marketable containers, all starches, sugars, vegetable and animal or marine fats and oils, seed, cotton, hemp, and flax fiber, but does not mean any such material after it loses its identity as an agricultural commodity or agricultural product.

This government has the perfect combination. They will know WHO disagrees with them, WHO has purchased food storage, and they will be able to throw them in detention indefinitely without a trial, and/or legally take all the food. All they have to come up with is a reason to declare martial law or an emergency.

Democrats can say that their president would never do such a thing. Republicans can say the same about their president. But don't both sides have reason to be afraid of the OTHER party, what happens when the guys you distrust are in power?

We can sit back and say, "These laws were all made by good legislators, who never meant it that way. These laws were made for our protection, during some emergency or during wartime."

Well, too bad, because when that certain president-cum-dictator gets into office, it will be easy for them to use these laws to our detriment. It is a terrible shame that the electorate has let this happen.